06/25/2023
When we think of the representation of Latinos in video games, several names come to mind, and in recent years several characters have been introduced to the industry that are now icons of our culture in this entertainment space, including the character of over watchSombra, the evil organization Talon’s devious Mexican hacker who pulls the strings of darkness.
Or the character of VALORANT, Raze, an explosive, always combat-ready Brazilian engineer who, while not strictly Latina, is still part of the region. And in more recent times and published this year, dead island 2 Carla was introduced as one of the selectable protagonists, a fierce Latina biker who loves two things: challenges and killing zombies.
What do all these characters have in common? That’s right, they are played by the extremely talented Colombian actress Carolina Ravassa, who she works with TEN GAMES He had the invaluable pleasure of chatting about his career, some personal life stories and of course his video game journey. Carolina captivates us with her extraordinarily warm personality and her ability to make real connections.
An extremely charming person who radiates positive energy and also expresses much of what she is passionate about in her characters and is also very complex. His ability to jump from one personality to another as long as his movies, series or video games require it is simply admirable. Learn more about this brilliant artist!
Interview:
Can you tell me about all the jumps between countries that you have experienced throughout your life and what experiences have you had in each one of them?
I collected little things from each country. I think one of the things I enjoy the most is learning to say “thank you” in different languages. So when I meet someone from Nepal or Pakistan, I ask them how to say thank you. It’s so simple, but when you say it to someone in their language: Wow, they can’t believe it and it’s very special. It’s something very basic and simple, but in general I give balls, especially in the countries where I’ve lived, the music, the food, the sense of the culture, which excites me a lot.
And living in Brazil or studying in Italy during the summer, it was like feeling the people there and connecting to what they do every day and how they enjoy life, and I think the food a big part of that, and definitely the music. In Brazil I tried to dance samba, of course I’ll talk about salsa later! But I love that kind of thing and I think that’s why I come into contact with characters from other countries a lot.
Do you visit Colombia from time to time? Apart from the people, what do you think you miss the most?
I visit Colombia once a year to see my parents. I have some friends there but I need the sancocho and the pandebono! Well, and the people, the rumbitas lying there. It’s not so much about the alcohol for me, but more about the salsa and the good vibes. I need this.
How did you get interested in acting in the first place?
I was a very hyperactive girl! That’s the joke I used to make, but it’s true! I had a lot of energy, my mom realized that, and so the daycare I went to as a kid was different to my older sister and my little sister, and that’s because I was super dramatic and dynamic, and my mom knew I had to play outside or jump in the river, so when I was four I auditioned for a concert and they gave me a solo and then when they wanted to perform the piece my mom said, ‘Well, Carolina I love being on stage’ so basically it was a bit of a stretch but that’s how it all came about and I did my first play when I was about four and a half or five and I really enjoyed it, and I carried on with it there.
As an actress you have worked in a variety of media including stage, film, television and video games. What has been your best experience so far and why?
There’s a mix of things, isn’t there? Theater has one very beautiful thing, and that is the live audience. I’ve done independent films that have moved me a lot, the last one I did is called Morgan’s Mask, I was also the producer and it’s one of my favorite experiences because I connect with the fanbase of gamers, which really was too special for me. Me and I think it has resonated well in the gaming world so it’s very special on this site. And of course there were the most “wow” experiences VALORANT And over watch because they gave me a very special connection to the fans of those games.
Your addiction to salsa dancing, how are you? are you in treatment is it hereditary
Yes! (laughs) I’m getting a salsa treatment! Hereditary? Let’s see… My mum dances, my dad more or less but the truth is I don’t know why I got the salsa bug but I like it. I don’t know how to tell you which dancers I love, although during the pandemic I took classes from Brando Pérez, well known on the networks, a very cool salsa singer from Cali, I have a few steps from learned from him, But I love Richie Ray, Bobby Cruz, Roberto Blades, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Héctor Lavoe, and the list goes on.
Let’s get to video games. Although your first participation in one of these was in 2012’s Max Payne 3, as additional voices; The following year, you got your first major role in a game when you played Taliana Martinez in GTA V. How was it? Did you think you would participate in a video game again?
me when I was working Max Payne 3 English was spoken with a Brazilian accent, or I don’t know if it was Portuguese, I can’t remember! They needed people who spoke Brazilian Portuguese, so they acted there as additional characters, and intelligent Carolina Ravassa told the casting director, “Hey, if they work in unaccented Spanish or English, I’d love it too if they would do that. “Think of me” because I’ve worked with pure Brazilians who spoke with a very heavy accent, so I wanted to tell them that I speak other languages too and if they need me as a gringa, then I can that to.
Then a year later, casting director Tony Grinage agreed and called me for Taliana, which was cool because I didn’t cast, he just gave me the part. The truth is that what we recorded in the studio wasn’t very long and later I also did motion capture for other characters and that was very cool, but I never thought that I would ever be more involved in video games I would have never thought of that! And when Overwatch came out I had no idea it was going to be a hit either and then I worked on Red Dead Redemption 2 and it was a very nice experience and a surprise! You never know what will come of it.
Overwatch! Her portrayal of Shadow was highly acclaimed by players. I understand that Colombians and Mexicans sound the same to Americans, but not only do you speak multiple languages, you also speak accents, and that’s reflected in Overwatch and VALORANT. But tell me, what challenges did Sombra originally present you with?
Let’s see, when I auditioned for Sombra, I sent two takes, one with a Mexican accent, since we always auditioned for Latino characters, and since these gringos have no idea about the differences in accents, I have one with Puerto skillful Rican accent. I thought, well, that might be an option, but the cool thing about it was blizzard I was very focused on getting the accent right. When they picked me and I started recording, there was no Mexican in the studio working with me, just me, and I was used to using a more northern Mexican accent, “wey”. . , because that’s what they sell for commercials!
And when the team from Mexico heard the accent I put on, they said, “No, Sombra is from Mexico City, we need to fix this.” So what scared me was when the team from Mexico came in, um rerecording with me corrected my accent. I mean, I really appreciated the help, but it made me a little nervous that they would choose someone else because the initial accent didn’t work for me. So the nice thing was that they worked with me and we managed to get the accent out and every time I talk to Mexicans they tell me they thought I was Mexican and for me that’s already one Success.
Shadow is famous for her intriguing, mysterious, and, well, sarcastic personality. How do you prepare to put yourself in their shoes?
Well, I don’t have to do much preparation to step into the role because I love the character and I associate a lot with the sarcasm, the black sense of humor. Obviously she’s super arrogant and thinks she knows everything, that’s not me! She’s half a villain so that’s cool because you can slip into another character and the lines they wrote for her are very cool so I don’t have to do much prep and I appreciate that because it doesn’t is easy but it comes me and it comes out natural and of course we have an amazing director who always helps me with the lines. So when we fall on the same examples or their signature little song, it helps me find other things, here a little more sarcastic, a there it’s a little more mysterious, a mix of things, so I give a lot of thanks to the team.
What is your favorite phrase and why is it called “turn off the light”?
(laughs) Turn off the light! That’s cool. I like “I know who’s been naughty” (which translates to “I know who misbehaved” but could have other piquant connotations in English) because everyone thinks it’s too funny. I also like… “Now I’m ready for the drink”, of course I always have to ask young people if they are of legal age because I don’t always want to put that on autographs.
Have you heard Sombra’s voice dubbed into Latin? She is played by Mexican actress Lourdes Arruti. How about?
I think it’s super cool! The best, Lourdes Arruti. I think everyone doing the dubbing is doing a really cool job. I met the actress who does it in Portuguese and I thought it was divine too. I always support voice talents and I think that’s very sweet.
Well, let’s talk a little bit about VALORANT’s Raze. It’s a Brazilian character and you, who are fluent in Portuguese, just hit the nail on the head with the interpretation. Even Brazilians love you. How was this experience?
Raze is too special. A lot of Brazilians love me and I think there are others who aren’t so happy that they chose a Colombian. But I like the character too much, I quite like the Portuguese accent I use in English, I have an ear for it, I’ve lived in Brazil and really enjoyed that experience, I have samba, capoeira and afro -Learned Brazilian dancing, I love music, I love Brazilian food, so it was very nice for me to be an honorary Brazilian and the experience of filming with the director and the writer was very special because we created three Raze . The writer let me improvise, the director helped me with some parts and we designed it. She’s bombastic and crazy, but she also has a very sweet and motherly side, and I think that’s really cool because she’s three-dimensional.
There are two kinds of people in the world: those you associate with Shadow and those you associate with Raze. But tell me the truth: which of these do you identify with the most? Or is it a completely different character? maybe one from the TV?
(laughs) Hmm, I identify with both Shadow and Raze. I feel like I’m a mix of both. Sombra’s sarcasm, his desire to annoy, in Colombia we say “want to fuck”. Always annoying, I think it’s cool. Raze is very loving and I feel like I’m very generous with my friends and the people I love. I want to create a community. As you have seen, I make videos with all the characters. So if I mixed the two together it would be like… Rombra? Or, Saze, a mix of both.
Dead Island 2 was your latest project in the world of video games. Can you tell me a bit more about your character Carla, who is one of the protagonists you can choose?
Let’s see, Carla is here dead island she is crazy too. I have a feeling that she is similar to Michelle Rodriguez. I didn’t think about it much when I recorded it, but now that I hear her on stage, it seems to me like she’s this bald guy who wants to kill anyone who isn’t scared or who at some point says: “Ah, yeah.” I’m going to die thanks to these zombies, then everything goes shit* and pa, pa, pa! Let’s shoot people and help them who want to survive.” Well, she rides a motorbike, she’s funny, in Colombia they say she has a little “I-give-give-give-culism” and says: “Oh , fuck it!” Carla swears a lot, so I use it here (laughs).
Do you usually play video games? Not necessarily the ones they attend, but all of them.
Oh, I don’t play video games, I wish I did. I suck I played Mario Kart When I was seven years old, I used to watch him play with my cousin Legend of ZeldaAnd besides, I’m lousy. I love sports, I play tennis, I do yoga, I love being outside and I love that gamers play because I’m terrible and suffering.
How would you compare the experience of acting in film or television to voice acting in video games and animation where you can almost shape an actor’s personality through your voice?
Film and television are very different from video games and animation. Obviously because you’re in a booth with headphones on and you don’t have to memorize the script, but I think it also has a very cool freedom because I can be a grandma, I can be a little girl, I can even be a sheep , one can be a thousand things! in animation and video games! It seems really cool to me because I couldn’t do it on TV. That’s why I think it’s cool, because you let your imagination run wild and you use it, that’s something very important.
You also have to do that by doing motion capture, so doing something on the green screen, because you have to imagine the space, you have to imagine where it is, so sometimes I have to interact with someone on stage because you see can’t see you and can use the space, you’re in a kitchen, you’re on a set. That seems nice to me, but I loved the voice acting.
Which of the animated series in which you have lent your voice is particularly close to your heart?
From the animated series I’ve been working on, I probably have to say “Hamster & Gretel” at the moment because it’s the first time I’ve been a recurring character, Gretel’s mother, and she’s in a lot of episodes, so I guess it’s almost weekly, which is very strange for an actor because sometimes you go months without work. It’s like, in over watch And VALORANT, they can invite us for a four-hour session, a week or two in a row, and then we don’t see each other for months, sometimes it can be a year! So people think you’re always recording over watchbut it’s a session and it’s over so I’m very grateful to Disney for giving me this little job and the show is very funny it’s from the same creator of Phineas and Ferb (Dan Povenmire) so I have it Darling.
What has been the most exciting or rewarding moment of your career so far?
Let’s see, I had a film coming out in April called Morgan’s Mask and I wasn’t planning on attending any events because it was very difficult to finish the film and you’re already so tired you can’t do it want everything and they organized a surprise party for me. To celebrate the completion of the feature film because it’s very difficult, I think it was a very nice experience because I never thought so many people would come to celebrate. As an artist, sometimes you forget that you give, keep giving, that when you complete a project it’s a success! Because not everyone finishes their project and not everyone can produce something. Of course it was super difficult to be able to do something like that with my nails, but even more it was something very special that people celebrated me and I really connected with all the people felt complete and happy.
Is there a particular message you’d like to convey to the players and the public, especially Latinos?
First of all, thank you for the support, for your awareness, for all the love on the networks. I really feel like the Latino world loves Sombra a lot and that’s all for me. Without you, the video game wouldn’t be what it is. Thank you for keeping playing, thank you for requesting things from us blizzardFor us voice actors, we love community. The only thing I don’t like is when there are toxins on the internet! So if you are one of those who likes to yell at the other, please don’t be a bully and let’s behave better because we never know what happens on the other side no matter who you play with. Kindness, affection and good vibes should be what we do while playing, so I ask that of you.
And follow your dreams! Life isn’t easy, but go ahead bald, you can do it with your nails and with wishes and desires. A kiss to all, thanks for the support and cheers!
Ladies and gentlemen, that was Carolina Ravassa, to whom we owe a big thank you for taking part in this interview, which managed to convey all her warmth and made it more entertaining than we could have ever imagined! Without a doubt, Carolina leaves an indelible mark on anyone who has ever had the pleasure of speaking with her. see you in Overwatch 2!